“a “oie: 
1799:] 
permanently adhefive as, to render every 
means of counteracting it ineffectual, ex- 
-cept by a total abandonment of the rooms 
for a confiderable time? Might not the 
fimple expedient of introducing a certain 
fafe degree of heat, kept up a proper 
length of time, be effeétual in thofe cafes 
-where all. fumigations have failed; and, 
as it is faid that all infectious vapours 
are deftru€tive of flame, may not the con- 
verfe be a praétical truth, that beat pro- 
perly managed (and it is an inftrument 
much more in our power than cold) will 
prove the moft effectual inftrument for de- 
ftroying the infecting fomites of the moft 
malignant fevers. Affuredly, it is de- 
firable to deftroy the ferpent im the egg. 
It is the multiplying and afiimilating 
nature of the latent contagion which in. 
creafeés its malignant power when it breaks: 
torth from its ambush of cold, in which 
it only fleeps, while in an unufual de- 
gree of heat it more probably is deftroy- 
ed and dies. Were this found to be the 
cafe, the quarantine of goods might be, 
with fafety, fhortened, and thus the in- 
tere(ts of trade be greatly promoted, 
In fhort, heat is-the moft penetrating 
and fubtile of all fuids. It is the great 
decompofer and univerfal folvent; azd, 
as a certain degree of warmth appears ne- 
céflary to the vigour and vitality of con- 
tagion, is it not probable that a conti- 
nued immerfion in a higher degree of heat 
maight wholly decompofe and deftroy it? 
Lam, &c. Ww. DRENNAN, 

To the Editor of the Monthly Magazine. 
CSIR, 
OUR lJaft number contains certain 
etymological obfervations of a cor- 
re{pondent at Bath, under the fignature 
of M.D. introduced, and partly fanctioned, 
by Dr. Beddoes, the propriety of which I 
ain inclined to queftion. 
Admitting, for 4 moment, ,that reck 
and vake are fynonymous, there appears 
little reafon. for concluding reckon to be 
compounded of reck and on; -as, fetting 
alide its Saxon derivation; (from recan or 
yeccan) * that word can in no fenfe mean 
torake together, which the writer mutt of 
courle infer.. It is proverbially true, that 
** a man may reckon his chickens before 
‘they are hatched,’ without being much 
the richer. 
“ Toazreke, meaning to revenge, feems 
to me”’ a very different word in every re- 
fpect, although, as Dr. Johnfon preperly 
oblerves,** it has been corruptly written for 
_ eck.” We have it immediately, I believe, 
- * Yhave ufed Englith chara€ters, from a 
fear that you may not pofivis Saxon types. 
i’ 
sg 
Etymology of tich—Dedicinal Ufe of Yeo/?. 
8 5st : 
from the Saxon wracan—A {trained inter- 
pretation of a paflage from Chaucer wall ; 
{carcely fupport a different opinion, efpe- 
cially as lefs equivocal authorities to the 
contrary may be found in the fame author. 
In “The Monkes Tale,” for inftance, 
when defcribing the dreadful.and defetved 
punifhment of «King Antiochus,” he fays, 
The reche of God him fmote fo cruelly 
That thurgh his body wicked wormes crept. 
Your correfpondent will not, probably, 
be found more happy in his reafoning up- 
on the word rich, which is derived to us, 
- either from the Saxon or the French, (the 
adjective and noun, rich, richeffe, by afin- 
gular -coincidence, being in both lan- 
guages precifely alike) and can conle- 
quently have no difcoverable conneétion 
with reck, rake; or reek, allowing the 
latter word to fignity ‘+ any thing piled 
up,”” or whatever elfe the doer of a dictio- 
nary may pleale to make it. 
The:ftudy of etymology, Mr, Editor,. 
may, perhaps,: be of fome importance 
when properly purfued ; but I am afraid 
that an indulgence in fuch like fanciful 
conjeCtures will only ferve to bewilder 
ourfelves and others,gand, in the words 
of your correfpondent, ‘* add errors to 
thofe -already heaped on language’’ an 
imputation, I am glad to find, he is at 
lealt defirous to avoid. 
A French wit has ridiculed, not unfuc- 
cefsfully, the rage that once prevailed for 
thefe quaint conceits, in the following 
jeu-de-e/prit, faid, 1 know not how truly, 
to have been aimed at Ménage :-— 
Alphana vient d@’ Eguus, fans doute < 
Mais il faut avouer auffi 5_ 
Qu’en venant dela jufqu “tel, 
Ji a bien changéfur la route. 
Stockton upon- Tees, 
13th Nov. 1799. 
To the Editcr of the Mouthly Magaziae. 
SIR, | 
) & pleafed to inform your correfpond- 
B ent, Munnor, that yeaft is a known . 
cure for the putrid fever, in the worit cafes. 
Mr. Willard, a medical gentleman, atAl- 
bany, in the State of New York, was«all- 
ed to attend a ftrong Dutch girl, who. la- 
boured under it to fuch a deyree that he 
could {carce bear her breath ; he gave her 
plenty of yeait and cured her immediately. . 
It,is thought by fome, that yealt, taken 
plentifully, and at the fame time applied 
externally, willftop the progrefs of a mor- 
tification, and correct the putrid quality 
of the blood. Fhe trial is certainly def, 
rable, and the expence trifling. 
St. Neots, Your’s . 
Now. 7, 1799- Wo, Gordon. 
‘ Ta 


